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Dudzele Cross - C1

Dudzele, Belgium, September 10, 2006

Vanthourenhout cruising in Dudzele

By Brecht Decaluwé

The opening race of this years cross season was held in Dudzele, a tiny
village near Bruges in Belgium. The race was won by local favourite Sven Vanthourenhout.
The circumstances for a cross were a bit unusual as it was pretty hot making
the cross fields hard and dry. The Belgian rider of the Dutch Rabobank team
cruised around the technical but fast circuit with all rivals being distanced
after the first lap. Vanthourenhout risked some technical jumps over a ditch
but never experienced any problems.

It must feel comfortable to end the first cross of the season with victory
under his belt. After last year, theres a lot to make up. I hope
I can succeed in that. The Belgian rider who will be riding for the new
team of Jurgen Mettepenningen (the Sunweb  Pro Job team) from January
on, was stronger than the rest of the field. I was alone in the front
quite early in the race. I kept the tempo very high, always checking the lap
times. The last two laps I reduced the tempo as my advantage was comfortable.
This cross was a good preparation for the new season although the level of competition
wasnt really high. Im already strong, but Ill need to
be a bit sharper. Ill never be distanced at a couple of minutes when the
big names show up in the races. The cross in Ruddervoorde is one of the
most important races for Sven Vanthourenhout, whos a rider from the region.
Its true, it is an important cross to me, but Im already trying
to win it for 3 or 4 years now. So Ill stop talking about it, maybe then
I can win it.

How it unfolded

Davy Commeyne had the best start as the 39 riders stormed into the fields
at sunny Dudzele. He leaded out the field during one lap but then Sven Vanthourenhout
stormed forward. Nobody could follow the Rabobank rider. Every lap he extended
his lead with about ten seconds and it was clear the others were fighting for
second place. Behind Sven Vanthourenhout six riders were riding together in
a tactical race. Davy Commeyne, Klaas Vantornout en Dieter Vanthourenhout could
eventually drop Maxime Lefebvre, Belgian champion with the elite without contract
David Willemsens, experienced Rudi Van De Sompel and his young team mate Bjorn
Traen.

Davy Commeyne won the sprint for second place, just before Klaas Vantornout.
Another Vanthourenhout  Dieter this time  arrived ten seconds later
as fourth. First foreigner and fifth at the line was Maxime Lefebvre. The French
rider was suspended and made his comeback in the cross world in Dudzele.